Infinitely Losing My Edge
Yeah, I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge.
The kids are coming up from behind.
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge to the kids from Cyprus and from Glasgow.
But I was there.
I was there in 1987.
I was there at the first Nirvana show in Seattle.
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge to the kids whose footsteps I hear when they get on the decks.
I'm losing my edge to the internet seekers who can tell me every member of every good group from 1960 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mumbai and Manila.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mexico City kids in little jackets and borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered nineties.
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge.
I can hear the footsteps every night on the decks.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983 at the first Lewis practice in a loft in Vancouver.
I was working on the harpsichord sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed started up his first band.
I told him, "Don't do it that way. You'll never make a dime."
I was there.
I was the first guy playing Saccharine Trust to the rap kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
Everybody thought I was crazy.
We all know.
I was there.
I was there.
I've never been wrong.
But I'm losing my edge to better-looking people with better ideas and more talent.
And they're actually really, really nice.
I'm losing my edge.
I heard you have a compilation of every good song ever done by anybody.
Every great song by The Grass Roots. All the underground hits.
All Make Up tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Vaughan Mason & Crew record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and a snare and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Qualms record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a marimba.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a synthesizer.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Panda Bear,
Fela Kuti,
Fatback Band,
Boredoms,
Alice Coltrane,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Lebanon Hanover,
Urselle,
Eric Dolphy,
The Saints,
Ronnie Foster,
The Flesh Eaters,
Crispian St. Peters,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Scan 7,
Gang Gang Dance,
Glambeats Corp.,
Barrington Levy,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Colin Newman,
Marshall Jefferson,
Minnie Riperton,
Sonny Sharrock,
Aloha Tigers,
Khruangbin,
The Mummies,
Ultravox,
Von Mondo,
T.S.O.L.,
Lou Reed,
Trumans Water,
Lightning Bolt,
Rotary Connection,
Janne Schatter,
Mission of Burma,
Yaz,
Smog,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Parry Music,
the Association,
Sex Pistols,
Young Marble Giants,
Byron Stingily,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Niagra,
Rapeman,
Procol Harum,
Metal Thangz,
The Skatalites,
Quando Quango,
Monks,
Pulsallama,
Wings,
Donny Hathaway,
Rakim,
Sugar Minott,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
U.S. Maple,
Japan,
Simply Red, Simply Red, Simply Red, Simply Red.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.